Stone Heads of Sno Village

The sculptures stand on a grassy hillside at the entrance to Sno, backed by the ridges of the Greater Caucasus. Seven heads, ranging from 1.5 to 3 metres tall, line an open area along the road. The grey and beige granite blocks are hand-carved, with the sculptor deliberately preserving the natural rock surface and cutting only the facial features. The head of Christ has natural iron veins in the stone that resemble blood. The face of priest Tevdore shows mineral streaks that look like tears.

All works are by Merab Piranishvili, born in Sno. He graduated from the Tbilisi Art Academy in 1977, returned to his home village in the 1980s, and began carving heads from boulders brought down from the mountains. During the Soviet era, the state funded the transport of stone blocks and provided cutting equipment. Now the sculptor works at his own expense. His goal is to create 500 sculptures and turn Sno into a full open-air museum. Next planned works are heads of Queen Tamar and King David the Builder.

After viewing the sculptures, cross the small river and climb to the 16th-century Sno Fortress – a stone tower and circular wall on a rocky outcrop. Nearby is the residence of Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia (exterior viewing only) and the Vakhtang Gorgasali Church. The equestrian St. George statue is on a hill behind the village – a short 10–15 minute uphill walk.

Number of sculptures – 7 heads plus an equestrian statue of St. George, each carved from a single granite block

Artist – Merab Piranishvili, Tbilisi Art Academy graduate (1977), working since 1984

Depicted figures – Shota Rustaveli, Ilia Chavchavadze, Akaki Tsereteli, Vazha Pshavela, Alexandre Kazbegi, Jesus Christ

Elevation – 1,760 m above sea level, set against Greater Caucasus mountain ridges

Project ambition – the sculptor plans to create 500 heads for an open-air museum

Village context – Sno is home to a 16th-century fortress and the birthplace of Georgian Patriarch Ilia II

Merab Piranishvili was born in Sno village in the 1950s. He graduated from the Tbilisi Art Academy in 1977 and worked as an art teacher in the capital for several years. In the 1980s he returned to his home village, where he began carving monumental sculptures from mountain granite. His first work was an equestrian statue of St. George, completed in 1984. During the Soviet period, the state funded the transportation of stone blocks and provided stone-cutting machinery.

After the collapse of the USSR, funding ceased. Piranishvili continued working at his own expense, adding heads of Rustaveli, Chavchavadze, Tsereteli, Pshavela, Kazbegi, and Jesus Christ to the collection. He uses a motorised tool for polishing but still does the primary carving by hand. Piranishvili is currently working on a head of Vakhtang Gorgasali. His dream is to create 500 sculptures and establish an open-air museum in Sno dedicated to Georgian history.

From {Stepantsminda[CITY_KAZBEGI]} (8 km, 10–15 minutes):

– Taxi – 20–30 GEL (~$7–11) one way. Often included in a half-day Juta itinerary (80 GEL / ~$29 per car, round trip)

– On foot – 3 km from the Georgian Military Highway turnoff. From Stepantsminda – 8 km, about 1.5–2 hours

From Tbilisi (152 km, 2.5–3 hours):

– Shared minibus (marshrutka) from Didube metro station to Stepantsminda – 15–20 GEL (~$5–7), then taxi. The marshrutka does not stop at Sno

– Car rental – turn off the Georgian Military Highway at Achkhoti village (5 km before Stepantsminda), then 3 km to the sculptures

– Day tour from Tbilisi – typically includes Ananuri, Friendship Monument, Sno, and Gergeti

On site:

Sculptures are right by the road. Sno Fortress – 200 m walk across the bridge. St. George statue – 10–15 minute uphill hike behind the village.

Season: May–October – comfortable weather, green hills, dry road. In winter the road is cleared but the area is snow-covered – sculptures are still visible.

Time of day: Morning (before 10:00) – soft light, good for photos. Evenings feature sunset light on the mountains, but shadows from the ridges fall early.

Duration: 20–30 minutes for the sculptures. With the fortress and St. George statue – 1–1.5 hours.

Avoid: In rain, the grass around the sculptures gets muddy. In January–February, the side road from the highway may be blocked by snow.